Traditionally, Bordeaux estates were named after their owners or founders. But histories path to the ownership of Chateau Leoville Poyferre is a long and winding road shared with Chateau Leoville Las Cases starting all the way back in 1638.

Jean de Moytie a member of the Bordeaux Parliament owned a Bordeaux vineyard. Moytie called it Mont-Moytie. Mont-Moytie was one of the first chateaux in the Medoc to produce wine along with Chateau Margaux and La Tour de Saint-Lambert, which we know as today as Chateau Latour.

The domaine remained in the family for almost 100 years. Through marriage, the estate ended up as part of the de Gascq family. Alexandre de Gascq renamed Mont-Moytie as Leoville, or Lionville.

The Leoville estate was at the forefront of Bordeaux vineyard management at the time. Some of their ideas seemed odd at first to many growers, but today many of their vineyard practices are still widely in use.

For example, they changed the grape varieties in the vineyards to allow for vines that produced smaller berries, giving the wine more concentration. They trellised the rows with pinewood. They began aging their wine in oak barrels, which they kept clean using a sulfur solution.

While we take these practices for granted today, in those days, they were wild ideas! By the time Alexandre de Gascq died, with his steady purchasing of Bordeaux vineyard land, Leoville was one of the biggest vineyards in Bordeaux at more than 200 hectares!

The Saint Julien property was divided in 1840. Pierre Jean de Las Cases, the oldest son received a share, which became Château Leoville Las Cases. His sister, Jeanne, passed on her share to her daughter, wife of Baron Jean-Marie Poyferre de Ceres. That is the birth of what we know as Leoville Poyferre. At first the wines were sold as Baron de Poyferre.

While the vineyards were separated, the buildings remained connected, just as they are today. In fact, the parking lot for both chateau is a common area. You park in either one, to visit the other. This is a unique arrangement in not only the Medoc as well as all of Bordeaux.

After the Leoville vineyards were divided into 3 different Leoville estates, Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Barton and Leoville Poyferre, many of the vines remained intermingled, making harvesting a little chaotic from time to time.

The true modern age for Leoville Poyferre beings with the purchase of the estate by the Cuvelier family in the 1920’s from the Lalande family.

The Cuvelier family got their start in Bordeaux the same way numerous other future chateau owners did, as negociants, or wine merchants. The Cuvelier family has a long history in the Bordeaux wine trade dating all the way back to 1804.

The first purchase made by the family was their property in St. Estephe, Chateau Le Crock in 1903. They next purchased Chateau Camensac in the Haut Medoc appellation. They followed that up with their next two investments, Chateau Leoville Poyferre and Chateau Moulin Riche.

Interestingly, even though they were experienced chateau owners, at first they allowed their neighbor manage Leoville Poyferre. Roger Delon, one of the owners of Chateau Leoville Las Cases was the first to manage the estate for the Cuvelier family.

The logo featured on the label is a statement about the tradition of the family. Before Leoville Poyferre had a chateau, the first member of the Cuvelier family to own the vineyard created a simple logo design with a chateau and a small tower on both sides.

Chateau Leoville Poyferre the Modern Era

This changed in 1979 with the accession of Didier Cuvelier, who became the first member of his family to take charge of Leoville Poyferre. Didier Cuvelier first trained and went to school to study accounting before he started to learn about wine.

His teacher was Professor Emile Peynaud. This was a fortuitous move for the property as the wines made by Didier Cuvelier once again put Leoville Poyferre on the map to wine lovers all over the world.

Some of the first changes made by the young 26 year old Didier Cuvelier include bringing Emile Peynaud into the fold. This was quickly followed by a modernization of the winemaking facilities at their Left Bank estate. A bigger move was to rip out and replant 20 hectares of vines, drastically reducing their output for years. Michel Rolland joined the team in 1994.

The positive changes in the wine from Leoville Poyferre can easily be seen by tasting the wine. The rapid jump in quality first appeared in 1982. However, Didier Cuvelier was not the first person to introduce innovation at Leoville Poyferre.

In fact, Chateau Leoville Poyferre was one of the first Bordeaux chateau to trellis their vines using pine stakes. This is common today, but not two centuries ago. Leoville Poyferre was also one of the first Bordeaux produces to rinse their barrels with sulfur to help protect their wines from spoiling during the shipping and aging process.

Leoville Poyferre is clearly one of the most exciting properties in Saint Julien and all of the Medoc today. As we mentioned earlier, much of the credit goes to the owner Didier Cuvelier. How did this happen?

As wines are made in the vineyard, much of the improvement is due to that fact that in 1979, Didier Cuvelier began a nineteen year replanting program for the vineyards.

At the time the replanting started, approximately 30 percent of the vineyard was planted at Leoville Poyferre. Much of the land lay fallow. Since those early days, the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the vineyards has increased and the first plantings of Petit Verdot have taken place.

Under the intelligent direction of Didier Cuvelier, the vineyard has almost doubled in size, from 48 hectares up to its current size of 80 planted hectares.

In 2014, a new facility was constructed at the property celebrating that early design as the now, modernized building is a long rectangle with a small tower on both sides. This is quite similar to the estate’s original design.

Following the 2017 vintage, Didier Cuvelier retired. Sara Lecompte Cuvelier, the niece of Didier Cuvelier and the sister of Anne Cuvelier, took over managing the estate.

The 60 hectare Saint Julien vineyards of Leoville Poyferre are planted to 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Keep in mind, this is just the vines used for Leoville Poyferre, and not Moulin Riche.

This marks quite a change in the vineyards since the early 1960. At that time, the percentage of Merlot was much higher, perhaps close to 50% with the Cabernet Sauvignon at about 30%, while the rest of the vineyard was planted to Cabernet Franc.

It is interesting to note that as there is so little Petit Verdot in the Leoville Poyferre vineyards, from time to time, when the Petit Verdot is quite ripe, those grapes can also be used for Leoville Poyferre. The terroir is mostly gravel, with some sand, clay and limestone in the soil.

Their best parcels of vines are located south of the walled in, Grand Clos parcel of neighboring Leoville Las Cases for the Cabernet Sauvignon. For the Merlot, the clay and gravel close to Leoville Barton is perhaps their best parcels of vines.

You can divide this into 7 different blocks that are fairly dispersed in the appellation. Those blocks can be further subdivided into 43 different separate parcels. They have several good neighbors, as their vines mingle with Chateau Leoville Las Cases, Chateau Leoville Barton, and to the north, they hit Chateau Pichon Lalande on the border of the Pauillac appellation.

The majority of the vineyards are in a few large, parcels, with the remaining best parcels placed close to the Route de Medoc, also known as the D2. The vines located further inland are usually placed into Moulin Riche and Pavillon de Leoville Poyferre.

However, that terroir is often the source for their best Petit Verdot, which can be difficult to fully ripen. Interestingly, portions of their vineyards are interspersed with vines belonging to Leoville Barton. The vine density is 8,500 vines per hectare.

While the estate of Leoville Poyferre was modernized in 1984, they have continued improving and renovating the property time and time again. In 2010, in time for harvest, the vat rooms were completely renovated at Leoville Poyferre.

They replaced 10 large vats with 20 new, stainless steel, double skin vats with a capacity from 60 hectoliters to 165 hectoliters giving them 56 vats in total. This allows for very precise vinification on a parcel by parcel basis. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel.

However, it’s important to note that even with all the modernization and renovations that have taken place recently at Leoville Poyferre, because they share a parking lot with Leoville Las Cases, which necessitated locating the actual winery on one side of the street, while the barrel rooms are located across the way, on the other side of the street.

Leoville Poyferre came up with an ingenious idea of how to move the wine to the barrels from the tanks. They created a system of underground pipes to move the wine safely from vats to barrels. Prior to the underground pipes, the wine was moved by hand in steel tanks using tractors. The wine is aged in an average of 75% new, French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling.

The best vintages of Leoville Poyferre are: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2000, 1996, 1990 and 1982. I have very little experience with very old vintages of Leoville Poyferre. From others that have tasted the wines, you might want to use caution before purchasing them.

Chateau Leoville Poyferre Character, Style

The style of Leoville Poyferre is a Bordeaux wine that offers lush ripe fruit with purity and concentration a powerful, plush style. Scents of cassis, spice and black fruits, with truffle and tobacco aromatics coupled with sensuous, rich, textures are the hallmarks of this wine.

Leoville Poyferre has been one of the most consistent producers of high quality Bordeaux since 2000. They have made so many great wines, it’s hard to pick a favorite.

However, 2009 Leoville Poyferre stands heads and shoulders above the previous vintages. With elegant textures and round silky tannins along with the ability to age, this is a Bordeaux wine to keep your eye on. Production of Leoville Poyferre is close to 20,000 cases of St. Julien wine per year.

When to Drink Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Leoville Poyferre can be enjoyed on the young side with a several hours of decanting. However, I find it too tannic and powerful young to be fun to taste. The wine is usually better with 10-15 years of bottle age. Of course that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character.

In the best years, the wine will best between 15 and 35 years of age after the vintage. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-4 hours or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Serving Chateau Leoville Poyferre with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Leoville Poyferre is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Leoville Poyferre is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted braised and grilled dishes. Chateau Leoville Poyferre is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms and pasta as well as cheese.

The estate produces two additional wines; Moulin-Riche, which comes from a specific 21 hectare parcel of vines in the St. Julien appellation that was purchased back in 1920 by the Cuvelier family. At one point in time, Moulin Riche was considered to be the second wine of Leoville Poyferre, but that is not the case today.

Now, the second wine of Leoville Poyferre is actually Pavillon de Leoville Poyferre. The family also owns a successful negociant company that they started in 1804, H. Cuvelier and Fils.

Château Léoville Poyferré Wine Tasting Notes

33 Vintages 642,602 ViewsSort by Vintage-Rating

2018

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

98

Before the licorice, black cherry, blackberry, smoke, spice box, espresso and cocoa-filled aromas kick in you were already knocked out by the depth of color in the glass. Velvet drenched black fruits seduce your palate. The wine is sensuous, sexy and mouth-filling. Generous with its fruit, this is a finish you don't want to end. All those layers of ripe, decadent dark berries maintain a presence for close to 60 seconds. If you are a fan of Leoville Poyferre, this needs to be in your cellar. If you are not yet a fan and this style is your thing, one taste is all you need to get hooked! Blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 32% Petit Verdot, this wine reached 14.4 alcohol. The harvest took place from September 24 to October 12. 97-99 Pts

1,346 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019

Before the licorice, black cherry, truffle, and cocoa-filled bouquet seductively arrives, you’ll notice a startling depth of color. Full bodied, rich and flowing with the darkest of red fruits and gently dusted with a blast of even darker chocolate, this wine is wrapped in cashmere. It is graceful and fresh from the very first dance to the long good-bye. Blending 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, this wine reached 13% alcohol. The harvest took place from September 20 to October 6. This is the final vintage with Didier Cuvelier at the helm and it is a testament to his many accomplishments at Leoville Poyferre.

9,575 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018

Deep in color, the wine is plush, rich, dense and sensuous. There is a purity of fruit that is easy to sense. The wine has vibrance, length and density, the tannins are supple and refined, allowing you to get the most out of the layers of fruit that just do not want to quit. I am tempted to add another point here, as this was so good. By the time the wine is in bottle, I just might!

7,354 Views Tasted May 13, 2018

Sophisticated and drizzled with opulence, these sexy, supple fruits and creamy tannins feel as good as they taste. This wine is endless in depth with a penetrating bullet of pure, silken fruit in the finish. Blending 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.6% alcohol with a pH of 3.66. The harvest took place October 5 to October 20, the Grand Vin representing 56% of the harvest.

6,791 Views Tasted Apr 29, 201797

2015

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

97

One of those wines that seriously improved from barrel to bottling, the wine is lushly textured, with waves of sweet, dark fruits. There is length, purity complexity and the structure to age along with endnotes of blackberry, dark chocolate, licorice and tobacco.

6,482 Views Tasted May 21, 2018

Taking a big leap from barrel to bottle, this is a beauty. With a serious depth of color, the wine offers velvet textures, waves of concentrated, perfectly ripe, sweet, dark fruits, length and purity. The wine coats your palate, and hangs in there, with an expansive, fruit filled finish, leaving you with blackberry, cassis, licorice, smoke, tobacco and the essence of wet earth. .

5,266 Views Tasted Mar 12, 201897

Dark in color, silky in texture, complex in nature and sensuous, ripe and concentrated in its personality, this should score in the middle or the top of my range.

4,640 Views Tasted Jul 12, 201795

Deeply colored with an initial blast of cassis and blackberry, this wine has freshness, polished tannins and a long, lingering, tannic finish with both depth and structure and gust of sweet, ripe, dark-red skinned fruit. Blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this wine reached 13.47% alcohol. The harvest took place from September 24 to October 10. 94 - 96 Pts

4,574 Views Tasted Apr 20, 201695

2014

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

94

There is an elegance to this wine that meshes perfectly with layers of ripe, silky fruit, refined tannins, complex aromatics and a long, fruit filled, concentrated, long finish.

5,867 Views Tasted Apr 16, 201594

2013

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

92

The Cuvelier family managed to produce quite a nice wine in this very difficult vintage. The tannins have a soft, ripe quality to their texture, and so does the fresh, black cherry and dark plum fruits. Give this 2-4 years and should be even better.

1,906 Views Tasted Feb 9, 2016

With notes of spicy cassis, flowers, olive and herbs, the wine has flesh and softness to the fruit and tannins, finishing with sweet black raspberries. From a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.63. The yields were 34 hectoliters with 45% of the harvest going in to the Grand Vin. This is very strong for the vintage. 91-93 Pts

3,183 Views Tasted Apr 20, 201492

2012

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

93

Sweet, soft, polished, ripe berries, gentle tannins and a long, graceful, smoky, fruit filled finish, with enough freshness and fruit to allow the wine to leave an impression. This is a very nice wine, and it’s quite an accomplishment for the vintage.

2,416 Views Tasted Mar 11, 2015

From an assemblage of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.4% alcohol. The pH is 3.8. The wine will be aged in 85% new French for 20 months. Licorice, black cherry, coffee bean and stone notes make up the aromatics. On the palate, the wine is soft, round, medium bodied, and fresh, showing signs of oak in the finish. 91-93 Pts

4,609 Views Tasted Apr 23, 201392

2011

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

93

Leoville Poyferre is on fire. Producing a wine this good in 2011 is really saying something. The complex nose of truffle, smoke, black cherry nd earth lets you know the wine is good. If that did not seal the deal, the fresh, sweet, soft fruits and peppy finish is going to do the trick. This is a very good wine which will only get better with 3-5 years of bottle age.

3,832 Views Tasted Feb 16, 2014

From an assemblage of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and an equal amount of Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.7% alcohol. The Grand Vin represents 55% of the harvest. With good color, the wine opens with coffee, earth, black raspberry and cassis. Medium-bodied, tannic, bright and fresh, there is a brawny personality in the crisp boysenberry, cassis and tannic finish. 2011 Leoville Poyferre will not be fun to drink young. It will require a lot of time before it softens and comes around. 91-93 Pts

4,834 Views Tasted Apr 13, 201292

2010

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

96

Still holding its cards tight to its vest, the wine offers great concentration, ripe, juicy, sweet fruits, lush textures and a finish that keeps on coming. However, this is not ready for prime time here. To get the most out of this future gem, 7-10 years of patience will definitely pay dividends.

6,547 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018

Inky in color, with explosive notes of licorice, smoke, jam, black and blue fruit, fresh brewed espresso and earth, the wine is dense. Packed with ripe, polished, fruits, sweet tannins, and enough freshness to give this life, the wine expands on the palate with a blast of juicy, ripe, lush, sweet berries. Not quite at the level of the stunning 2009, but this blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc is close. This stunning wine should age and evolve for decades.

8,083 Views Tasted Feb 8, 201696

Starting to tighten up, there is no doubting the incredible quality of this wine, with all its power, ripe fruit, silky tannins and charm, but it really wants cellaring time before it once again displays all it has to offer. I'd give it a decade.

8,525 Views Tasted Sep 23, 201496

Smoke, licorice, wet earth, forest floor, black cherry, blackberry and truffle aromas grab you and keep you going back for another sniff. On the palate, there is not a single hard edge to be found. Soft, silky, refined and polished, there is a beautiful sense of symmetry. The finish ends with layers of sweet, ripe, black and dark red fruits. This continues to show better with each tasting.

13,382 Views Tasted Oct 11, 201397

Blending 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc produced a St. Julien wine that offered earth, caramel, coffee and dark berry liqueur aromas. This powerful, tannic, rich, pure, intense wine combines freshness with opulence, due to the high 14% alcohol and low pH levels. Over the last two months, the wine has fleshed out, becoming better integrated and rounder. Full bodied and tannic, this will require several years of bottle age before it begins to mature. The wine was released at 85 Euros, which was more expensive than the 2009.

9,297 Views Tasted Jul 24, 201296

Leoville Poyferre From an assemblage of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, along with 3% Cabernet Franc, this wine reached 14% alcohol. Even at this degree of alcohol, there is no feeling of heat. Smoke, earth, jammy dark berries and cassis scents produce the aromatics. This fresh, chocolate covered cassis filled wine is big and almost brawny in style. Its beefy tannins and low pH combine freshness and power which are made better by the long cassis filled, powerful finish. According to Didier Cuvelier, 2010 reminds him of 2005. I see his point. B ut for me, 2010 is more powerful, while 2005 offers more elegance and charm.93-96 Pts

9,006 Views Tasted Apr 20, 201194

2009

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

98

This is already offering a great palate presence. The wine tastes and feels great. There is volume, sensuous tannins, length and purity. Still young, the wine is vibrant, opulent, deep and long. What a beauty. Unless you have a case or prefer wines in the primary stage, I would wait 5 years before pulling a cork.

5,664 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018

This is another sublime 2009 Bordeaux that even with just a few years of age is clearly a better wine. It's deeper, richer, silkier and more complex. The wine fills your mouth and coats your palate with its stunning layers of perfectly ripe fruit. The finish goes on and on.

7,608 Views Tasted Sep 23, 201498

Absolutely stunning in every way! I am tempted to give it another point. I am sure that will happen as the wine continues developing. Sexy, lush, polished, rich, dense and complex, the wine fills your mouth with layers of perfectly ripe, dark fruits, spice, cocoa, earth and frankly, flavor. The finish is elegant, long and expansive.

11,371 Views Tasted Jul 25, 201397

Talk about stealing the show… Leoville Poyferre continues its amazing series of great wines with the sublime 2009! The perfume is packed and stacked with attention seeking coffee, blackberry, blueberry, truffle and earthy aromatics. On the palate, the wine is pure silk, velvet and power. Produced from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, there is an intensity matched with elegance and harmony to the wine. With high levels of ripe, opulent tannins and layers of plush, fresh berries in the long, finish, this is a Bordeaux wine worth the effort to taste and lay down.

16,108 Views Tasted Feb 6, 201297

What a sexy St. Julien! This plush, rich, opulent, sweet, intense is filled with crème de cassis, chocolate, licorice, truffle, tobacco and spice. The pure, long, fresh, sweet black cherry filled finish is a delight to taste and feel on your palate. This is the Leoville Poyferre to buy in today’s market. It’s better than the 2010 and it sells for less, at least for now.

15,360 Views Tasted Jul 25, 201196

According to Didier Cuvelier, they made changes in the vat rooms. But those changes will not be used unitl the 2010 vintage. To obtain more precision in the vinification, Didier exchanged 10 older vats for 20 stainless steel double skin vats with different capacities ranging from 60 to 165 hl. The wine is black with purple tints, and it springs forth with potent aromatics of blackberry, black raspberry, cassis, licorice, sweet oak, and minerals. The wine is fat, rich, sweet, and sexy, with a plush mouth feel that ends with long, pure, spicy black fruit notes. Didier compares 2009 with his 1982. 96-98 Pts.

17,101 Views Tasted Aug 26, 201097

2008

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

93

With just a hint of age in its color, the wine is all about the cedar, tobacco, forest, licorice and dark red berry aromatics and concentrated, core of dark fruits, plush but firm tannins and chocolate. Even though you find some secondary development, this is still youthful, so allow it a few more years to develop before popping a cork.

3,675 Views Tasted Sep 17, 2018

Showing some aging in the color, secondary notes of tobacco, and truffle are just starting to wake up. Close to bright, round and crisp, give this at least 5-7 more years for the ample tannins to soften and for the wine to fill out.

5,192 Views Tasted Mar 27, 201793

Coffee, chocoalte, licorice, plum and blackberry jam aromatics are easy to find. Full bodied and concentrated with layers of dense, fruit, the wine ends with a jammy, dark berry and espresso bean filled finish. This is starting to close down.

11,679 Views Tasted Feb 17, 201293

Sweet spice, earth, cassis, black cherry, coffee and truffles were easy to find in the aromatics. The full bodied, concentrated wine is filled with fresh cassis flavors in the long, richly textured, polished finish.

13,798 Views Tasted Jan 28, 201193

08 Château Leoville Poyferee, with some slight purple tints, is almost opaque. Smoke, mineral, blackberry, licorice, coffee, and vanilla aromatics are easy to find. In the mouth, the fruit has a plush characteristic. The tannins are ripe. The wine ends on a long, clean, fruit filled note. Owner Didier Culvier said he had exactly the same picking dates as did Leoville Las Cases. 92-94 Pts

9,258 Views Tasted Aug 31, 200993

2007

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

91

Medium bodied and fully developed, the wine is already showing its truffle, tobacco, cigar box, wet forest and dark red fruit charm. Quite successful for the vintage, the wine has softness and fruit to offer tasters willing to give it a chance. That being said, this is fully mature and is a wine for current consumption.

2,728 Views Tasted Mar 27, 2017

Chewy tannins, crisp fruit and the structure to age, the wine is tannic and clearly demands time before its firm, Cabernet Sauvignon character can soften and come together. Give it at least 5-10 more years, or a few hours in the decanter before popping a bottle.

3,723 Views Tasted May 25, 2016

This solid, concentrated, structured, tannic wine is not close to being ready. Licorice, coffee bean, cassis, blackberry and smoky notes lead to a full bodied, young wine that demands another decade before it begins to be a lot of fun to drink. For tasters that think vintages like 2003 and 2009 are too ripe and lush, this is a good choice.

5,337 Views Tasted Jan 12, 201391

2005

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

97

Even in its adolescent years, it is hard not to find this thrilling to drink. Luscious, sensuous and concentrated, the tannins are ripe, the fruits combine freshness and purity and the finish just keeps on going. Drink now with 2 hours of air or wait a decade. Regardless, this is really stellar juice!

4,558 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018

Cigar box, tobacco, cassis, blackberry and wet earth scents pop as soon as the wine hits the glass. The fruit and tannins need more time and air before they can really be coaxed from their deep slumber. On the palate, the wine is powerful, full bodied and concentrated, with refined tannins, plush textures and layers of sweet, ripe, juicy, spicy fruits. If you enjoy young wines for their crisp fruit, you can drink this with a few hours of air, else this very strong wine will be much better, softer and more complex with another 5 more years of age. The wine was produced from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. The wine reached 13.5% alcohol.

6,073 Views Tasted Jun 28, 201595

Still dark in color, this looks like a new wine. Espresso bean, smoke, vanilla, boysenberry, blackberry and licorice notes fill your glass. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, long, deep, fresh, clean and balanced on the palate. The round silky tannins push along wave after wave of berries that move from black to red and back to black again. The wine is very young as you would expect. Give the beauty up to a decade before popping a cork and enjoy the ride.

9,389 Views Tasted Jul 25, 201397

This is packed and stacked with sweet, ripe, black fruits, oak and soft tannins. There is ample fruit and structure to allow this wine to age and evolve for decades.

6,833 Views Tasted Jan 20, 200894

2004

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

92

With a developed color, forest floor, strawberry jam, truffle and cigar box aromas, the wine really serves up a nice, plummy, sweet, soft and round sensation that is ready to start being opened and enjoyed.

4,960 Views Tasted Jan 4, 2015

There is a nice softness and polish to the tannins, giving the wine a supple texture to the smoky, black cherries, earth and licorice filled personality. The wine is young, fresh and while still primary, fun to drink as it approaches its 10th birthday.

6,836 Views Tasted Jul 25, 201392

2003

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

94

An hour of air helped here, adding more body, and depth. The wine offers layers of licorice, blackberry, dark cocoa, smoke and tobacco. Lush, round, sweet and juicy, this is quite sensuous. There is a minor touch of dryness on the backend, but you need to be looking at it closely to see that, as the wealth of ripe fruit is there from start to finish. There is no heat, or jammy notes. The wine is drinking very fine today.

6,579 Views Tasted Jul 30, 2018

Developed and ready to go, this full bodied, rich, ripe, round wine serves up a delicious blend of forest floor, chocolate mint, black cherry and licorice. Plump and tasty, this is perfect to pop and pour for pleasure.

5,987 Views Tasted Sep 25, 201794

Cigar box, wet earth, cassis, mint and dark chocolate scents pop with 10 minutes of air. Silky, soft, polished and rich, with a sweet, cherry liqueur filled, opulent finish that tastes as good as it feels. This is much better than the previous bottle. I'm really liking this wine! However, the wine does not need more than 15-30 minutes in the decanter. Also, I'll be finishing my bottles of this wine over the next decade. It's not going to be a long ager.

7,709 Views Tasted Dec 12, 201595

Double blind, my guess was at least 15 years older than its true age, due to its developed character. Soft, lush, and luscious, there is an array of secondary aromas that really charge you up, with their truffle, forest floor, tobacco, cigar box, cedar, plum and black cherry notes. I do not think this is going to fade sooner than it should, but as the wine is really nice now, why wait to pop a bottle?

7,971 Views Tasted Sep 23, 201495

Light ruby in color, the wine sings with a nose packed with tobacco, black and white cherries, mocha, smoke, licorice and truffle. Soft, plush, round tannins, layers of voluptuous, ripe, sexy dark fruits and spicy, sweet candied cherries create a long, opulent, enticing finish. This is a winner and one of the stars of the vintage in the Medoc!

8,350 Views Tasted Dec 18, 201396

The color is pitch black. Cassis earthy, black and blue fruits with hints of espresso bean makes up the perfume. Rich, dense and filled with ripe, spicy, dark fruits, this powerful, concentrated, tannic and round textured wine fills your mouth and palate. This needs at least another 6-10 years before it really starts to strut its stuff.

15,265 Views Tasted Jul 10, 201096

2002

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

90

Secondary notes of tobacco, earth, wet leaf and olive, which add to the cassis, blackberry and red fruits. The tannins are firm, ending in a finish of blackberries and earth . This is showing better than the last time I tasted it. You can drink this now, or age it for a few years, as it could improve.

9,575 Views Tasted Sep 13, 201192

2000

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

95

Just beautiful. The wine has concentration, richness, elegance and layers of sweet dark, earthy, fresh, spicy fruits. There is a purity to the fruit and softness to the tannins that allows this to taste and feel great. Drink now with an hour of air, or age it another decade for more secondary charm.

4,083 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018

Showing some lightening at the edge, the wine is silky, soft, polished and developing, spicy, earthy, tobacco and truffle characteristics. Still young, but beginning to open and display its qualities, the finish is long, supple, concentrated, fresh and clean.

13,754 Views Tasted Jul 26, 201296

With an explosive perfume of coffee, black cherry, black berry, truffle, tobacco, spice box, smoke and cloves, this wine takes off and keeps on going. The texture is plush, opulent and fleshy, but there is the right amount of acidity to allow the wine to feel fresh and lively. With a long, pure, plum and black cherry finish, this beautiful expression of Leoville Poyferre leaves a great impression. This is the third time I’ve tasted this wine in a month and every bottle has been great. With prices for 2009 and 2010, this is the wine to buy and cellar.

14,739 Views Tasted Aug 1, 201197

Leoville Poyferre Jammy berries, boysenberry, coffee, smoke, chocolate, black raspberry, spice, black cherry and earthy aromas pop from the glass. With opulent, round, silky tannins, this full bodied, concentrated, ripe, fruit filled St. Julien wine is developing perfectly. With another 5 years of bottle age, this plush Bordeaux wine should improve while offering the sublime 1982 Poyferre a run for the money.

12,918 Views Tasted Jun 19, 201195

Filled with smoke, spice, black fruit, cassis and caramel. This Bordeaux is rich and concentrated, the tannins are ripe and round. This is a very plush, opulent and stylish Leoville Poyferee.

12,528 Views Tasted Mar 5, 201095

With a complex perfume of tobacco, cassis, herbs and blackberry. Big, concentrated and filled with ripe, lush fruit. Great concentration and everything was in balance. The finish was long, clean and fresh.

7,659 Views Tasted Jan 15, 200995

1999

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

90

At age 12, this is tasting mature with its tobacco, mushroom and earthy, cassis and cranberry driven personality. Medium bodied, this lighter style of St, Julien will offer the most pleasure over the next 5-7 years.

3,561 Views Tasted May 13, 2015

The perfume offers a smoky bouquet of scents with cassis, cigar box, cedar wood, blackberry, tobacco, coffee and forest floor all showing their essence. Full bodied, round, plush and really starting to soften, the finish is fresh, clean, smooth and delivers a sweet, dark cherry note that sticks with you. Close to fully mature, this bottle was popped and poured and probably enjoyed far too quickly. But isn’t that one of the signatures of all the really great wines? The wine was produced from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon , 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.

4,428 Views Tasted Jun 19, 2016

With a smoky, licorice, cigar box, cassis and blackberry filled perfume, the wine is soft, round, polished and ready to go. It's close to 20 years of age and if you've been holding your bottles, it's really time to pop a cork. The wine was popped and poured.

4,662 Views Tasted Jul 27, 201593

Frim, tannic and a bit on the austere side. Decanting helped. the aromatics were the best part of the experience with their tonacco, truffle, cassis and blackberry notes. The fruit was classy, but this wine is always going to please fans of traditionally styled wines more than those that have grown fond of the rounder, more plush sensations found in modern vintages of Leoville Poyferre.

5,520 Views Tasted Oct 14, 201391

Filled with truffle, smoke, licorice and cassis, the wine is structured, ripe, round and ends with a delicious, sweet black cherry filled finish. At 15, this is drinking great and should remain at this level or improve a little bit for at least another 15 or more years.

8,125 Views Tasted Jul 22, 201193

Still young, this solid, powerful, tannic wine offered cassis, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes. After an hour in the glass, it began to open and added charm. The wine ended with a tanninc, dark berry finish. Give it another 3-5 years.

8,846 Views Tasted Jul 10, 201092

1995

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

91

Cassis, coffee, earth and blackberry open to a full bodied wine, that is slightly on the austere side. The tannic finish is filled with cassis and cranberry that ends with a tart, red berry note. This will be long lived, but it might not improve a lot from this stage.

3,174 Views Tasted May 8, 2017

This is remarkably consistent from bottle to bottle, and this example was no exception to that rule. Lush, silky, soft and polished, with a gorgeous array of secondary tobacco, cedar, wet earth, cigar wrapper and bright red fruit nuances, the wine popped as soon as it was poured. No decanting is needed here for this beauty. This is in the sweet spot, so if you have a bottle, grab it and pull that cork!

3,010 Views Tasted Nov 24, 2018

If you like sexed up kinky cherries paired with the aroma of a great cigar, wet forest funk, cedar and smoke, you came to the right place! The wine is full bodied, rich and sensuous, with silky tannins, and a fresh, kirsch, olive and spice filled finish. This is singing at the top of its lungs today. 30 minutes in the decanter helped. The wine continued improving and softening in the glass. This is probably close to peak, you can wait, but why would you?

3,258 Views Tasted Feb 25, 201897

Wow! As soon as the wine hit the glass, the beautiful cigar box, forest floor, cedar, cassis and spice aromas were right where they needed to be. Full bodied, rich, supple textures, refined tannins and a sweet, fresh, vibrant, spicy finish made it complete. This is drinking at peak where it should remain for at least another 15-20 more years if well stored. 20 minutes in the decanter was more than ample for the wine.

4,458 Views Tasted Jun 10, 201697

Entering the sweet spot of its prime time drinking years, the nose is the first thing that grabs you. But the layers of deep, rich, ripe, polished, velvety fruit keeps your attention where it needs to be. Drink this now, or age it another 5 years for more secondary notes, this is a super wine with great personality.

4,090 Views Tasted Sep 23, 201496

I love catching wines at the perfect moment. If you have a bottle of this stunning juice it's time to pop a cork. The chocolate mint, truffle, blackberry, earth, cassis, blackberry smoke and tobacco nose is worth the price of admission. On the palate, the silky textures and become better, now that the patina of age has sunk in. The rich, concentrated, fresh, cassis, spice, herb and wild strawberry finish makes you want to take another sip.

6,228 Views Tasted Jun 8, 201396

Explosive notes of creme de cassis, earth, spice, smoke, blackberries and tobacco. Full bodied, rich, sensuous and packed with multiple layers of ripe, pure berries, this wine is drinking great today. While it will probably continue to improve for another decade, where it should remain for years, there is no reason to delay popping a bottle. This is a beautiful expression of Leoville Poyferre.

7,488 Views Tasted Feb 13, 201295

Smoke, tobacco, cassis, orange rind, blackberry, earth and spicy scents are easy to find. Full bodied and concentrated, this specific bottle was not a perfect example. The color was lighter than usual, showing advanced signs of age. The wine finished with a big dose of cassis. I've tasted better examples of the 1990.

8,511 Views Tasted Jun 15, 201193

Spice, tobacco, cherry blossoms, cassis, truffles, stone and smoke greet your nose. This potent, rich, full bodied, round wine feels great as it pours over your palate. Concentrated, ripe, sweet spicy dark berries and cassis remain on your palate for close to 40 seconds. At 20, this is a good time to start opening your bottles. While it will improve, there is no reason to wait.

4,322 Views Tasted Jun 19, 2009

Fully mature, medium bodied wine that is more interesting on the nose, with its cigar box, truffle, black cherry and tobacco driven perfume, than on the soft, gentle, slowly starting to fade palate. This is not a wine to hold. If you have a bottle in your cellar, it needs drinking.

4,958 Views Tasted Dec 3, 2015

Just beautiful, and much better than the previous bottle. Fully mature and in the sweet spot, the wine is soft, elegant, nuanced, and complete. Showing great secondary characteristics, with freshness and layers of ripe, mature dark, red fruits, this is in the zone. Well-stored bottles can age for at least another 10-15 or more years.

2,527 Views Tasted Oct 12, 2018

Hopefully, it was just this bottle, as it seems like the wine has taken on a more rustic edge, since last tasted. Popped and poured, the wine opened and softened in 10-15 minutes. The nose was all cedar, tobacco leaf, cigar box, cassis and pepper. On the palate, the concentrated wine alternated between rustic and soft, depending on its mood. In the finish, noticeable green peppery sensations were evident. I think I liked this wine better a few years ago, but I'll pop another cork on the wine later this year. All that being said, this is not a wine I would hold at this point.

2,633 Views Tasted Jan 1, 201892

Ready to drink, if not fully mature, the silky, smooth, rich textures, layers of ripe, sweet, delicious fruit and the perfume, with its spicy, tobacco, truffle, mocha and dark cherry aromatics is a treat.

3,775 Views Tasted Jan 14, 201695

Silky, soft, refined, concentrated and deep, the wine combines great textures, sweet fruits, complex aromatics and a long finish. What's not to like? And it's drinking great today!

4,072 Views Tasted Jan 23, 201596

1982 Leoville Poyferre offers a beautiful, intense perfume filled with truffles, Cuban cigars, ash, earth, Asian spice, cedar wood and black with red fruits. On the palate, the wine is rich and sensuous, ending with a lush, mocha and cassis filled finish. This is drinking perfectly today. As good as this is, and it's very good, the current vintages starting with the sublime 2000, are even better!

5,443 Views Tasted Sep 18, 201496

Truffle, tobacco, cassis, cedar chest, earth, blackberry, spice and smoke create a beautiful nose. On the palate, the wine is silky and power. Full bodied and concentrated, everything is in place to deliver a great, fully mature, Bordeaux wine drinking experience.

6,336 Views Tasted Mar 18, 201396

1982 Leoville Poyferre remains one of the best values from the normally, very expensive 1982 vintage. Tobacco, truffle, earth, cassis, cedar wood and cigar ash create the complex perfume. Concentrated, full bodied and rich in texture, the wine offers a big mouthful of sweet, ripe, cassis, blackberry and spice. For a 30 year old wine, this is still young, fresh and vibrant. Well stored examples could easily age and improve for another 20 or more years.

5,692 Views Tasted Aug 28, 201295

Smoke, grilled nuts, truffle, cassis, coffee, tobacco, earth, underbrush, blackberry and spice aromas lead to a sweet, refined, full bodied, concentrated cassis and plum filled finish. This is rally starting to drink well now and it has at least another 10-20 years to go.

8,257 Views Tasted Jun 15, 201196

82 Leoville Poyferre is filled with smoky black fruit, cassis, truffle, cedar and cigar box aromatics. This rich, full bodied, elegant, round, powerful Bordeaux wine end with a long, cassis, blackberry, spice and orange rind finish. This sublime wine will only get better. While not cheap, this wine offers one of the best price to quality ratios for mature Bordeaux, especially for 82 Bordeaux.

8,714 Views Tasted Dec 12, 201097

This opens with notes of cedar, earth, anise, forest floor and fresh, ripe and over ripe dark berries with a hint of jam. This full bodied wine is packed with fruit and flavor. The soft, yet powerful finish ends with black and blue fruit flavors, spice and hints of fennel. This is drinking great today, but additional time will only make this better.

9,062 Views Tasted Jun 13, 201095

Every sniff and sip rocks! Tobacco, spice, truffle, cassis and blackberry are all over the place. Concentrated, intense, elegant and powerful, this wine has it all and it's clearly showing its ample charms!

7,016 Views Tasted Dec 31, 200996

Earthy, forest notes with hints of cherry wood. Very concentrated, thick wine, that coats your mouth, palate and gums. Soft tannins, great depth and complexity, this wine delivers the goods.

3,575 Views Tasted Jan 10, 200594

1961

Château Léoville Poyferré (St. Julien)

90

My first time tasting this wine, and I was quite surprised with how much I liked this wine. Charming, in the positive sense of the word, this has character, charm, ripe cassis, complex, cigar and tobacco scents and a long, fresh, red berry finish.

2,115 Views Tasted Dec 28, 2015

This sported a brickish color. Spice, soy, Kirsch, earth and truffle made for a powerful perfume. In the mouth, the wine was less exciting and with air, declined in the glass. Still, for the first 30 minutes, it was a nice ride.

3,681 Views Tasted Dec 1, 2008

Pale rose hip tea in color, the wine offered bare hints of tobacco and strawberry in the faded bouquet, ending in a finish of short, light cherries. The wine was not faulty, there was just very, very little going on. Regardless of the quality, it was an honor tasting such a historical gem at 108 years of age.

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